A Crow and an Angel
by Angel Youkai
Summary: Kurama is in college, and he's been having strange dreams lately. To add insult to injury the new tranfer student just happens to Karasu's younger sister and the subject of the dreams. Ratng may change. Self-insert. R
1. A Meeting in the Garden

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I wish I owned Kurama... takes a moment to drool over what would happen if she did and I wouldn't mind owning Karasu... Yes, my mind is a dark and scary place... at least according to most of my friends.   
  
This is my first semi-darkish fic (with the exception of Fallen Angel, my Cowboy Bebop fic), so please go easy on me with your reviews. Takes place after series, Kurama is in college.  
  
Kurama walked out of the small apartment, locking the door behind him. He yawned after yet another night of nightmares. The lack of sleep was beginning to affect him visibly as well now. His fair skin was marred by slightly darkened circles under his eyes. Not enough for people to question him because people usually just assumed it was college life, but he noticed. He had planned to spend that night, after classes, relaxing.  
  
He decided that if it came down to it, he would just have to make a potion for a dreamless sleep; he really was hoping to avoid that though. He had seen the effects of even a few dreamless nights on others, and it was not something he wanted to go through. Some became very distant from the world, almost as if their waking life was a dream that they were just gliding through, unaware of anything going on around them. Others suffered more severe effects though. Instead of their life becoming a dream, it was their nightmare; sometimes it became the one they had been trying to avoid while sleeping. He did not want to become either of those. But if the nightmares did not stop, he was afraid he might even without the potion.  
  
This was why he planned to spend the night relaxing. He was almost praying that the nightmares had been due to stress and just spreading himself too thin, with his classes in college and working to pay his rent and buy food. He had been offered room and board with his college scholarship, but he needed more privacy than a college dorm could provide, especially with a roommate.  
  
As he walked out the door of the apartment complex, Kurama took a deep breath, attempting to clear his head. He had about an hour or so before his first class of the day, and he did not want to waste it indoors. He decided to visit the gardens on campus. Letting his mind wander, he was unable to stop it from going back the nightmare, the same and yet different every time. It always started out the same, the phantom pain from the long-healed injuries caused by Karasu during their battle at the Dark Tournament. Then, as he would lie on the ground, bleeding, Karasu would turn his back to him and the image would shift ever so slightly. Karasu would stand just a bit different, his outline would waver and a change would take place... but from the distance it was barely noticeable. With Kurama's sharp eyes, even after watching numerous times in the past few weeks since the dream had begun, he still could not quite determine what exactly the change was, just that there was one... From that point on, things were different every time, save one small fact; Karasu did not speak at all until Kurama woke in the same cold sweat every night.  
  
But tonight's dream had ended much differently. Karasu still hadn't spoken, but now Kurama wasn't even sure if the second figure was Karasu at all. In previous dreams, it had always continued from that distance, but this time, the figure had approached him. The walk had more of a sway in the hips than Karasu's, and when he saw the face... It was not Karasu's face. Yes, it was similar, but not his. In fact, this face was far more feminine, the eyes were... not necessarily kinder, but they were much less cold and cruel. This person had also been much shorter than Karasu. 'No,' Kurama concluded. 'This person is not Karasu... but then who is she?'  
  
When he entered the gardens, he went over and sat on his favorite bench... located near the roses. He decided to try to occupy his mind with observing the other people in the garden. A couple sitting in the grass, another up on the hill, yet another locked together at the mouth on a bench a little ways away, and a single person sitting on a bench facing away from him. Why did this person draw his attention? 'Probably because they're the only other one not staring into another person's eyes...' he answered himself. But there /I something different about this person. The person was dressed in all black with long black hair, not exactly uncommon in Japan. But was that a glimpse of red fabric? 'Calm down, Kurama. That dream is making you paranoid.' He looked away just as he noticed the figure standing up, not wanting to be caught staring. So, he, instead, attempted to deeply involve himself in examining a nearby blossom. That is, until a still shadow blocked his light. He slowly turned his head, almost afraid of what he would see.  
  
"K-Karasu," he managed to make the words come out not sounding too strangled. He sat transfixed by the specter from his dream.  
  
The eyes, the only part of the face visible over the mask, squinted slightly in a smile, and a feminine voice spoke, "No, that would be my brother. But people often get us confused. Is this seat taken?"  
  
Kurama could not make his mouth form words so he just shook his head vaguely, earning another, assumed, smile. The woman, he could now tell by her figure, sat beside him on the bench.  
  
"So, you've met my brother and survived?" she continued. "I don't mean to be offensive, but how? You look like someone he'd take an... 'interest' in."  
  
Lack of sleep was taking its toll on Kurama's composure. "I-... I'd really rather not relive it." He could not stop staring at her. He eyes were definitely the ones from last night's dream, and her clothes... The red scarf around her neck made the whole outfit very unnerving, especially coupled with the mask over her nose and mouth.  
  
"Oh, alright. I just thought it was rather odd... Oh, how rude of me, I'm Mitsukai," she held out a black-gloved hand. "I just transferred from Osaka." Noticing his hesitation to take her hand, she tried to reassure him. "Don't worry, I'm nothing like my onii-chan."  
  
With that little bit of prompting, he was able to take hold of her hand with a decent grip. "Shuuichi Minamino."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Minamino-san," she smiled again. At least, Kurama was pretty sure she was smiling.  
  
"So, um... What's your major?" Kurama asked, trying to be friendly.  
  
"Nuclear physics, and I minor in bio-chemistry."  
  
"Really? I double majored in botany and bio-chemistry," he saw that they had something in common.  
  
"A double major? Well, I can see that you have an interest in biology," she laughed slightly.  
  
"You could say that," he gave a small smile. "And I can't exactly say that I'm surprised by your choices."  
  
"Yes, shocking aren't they?" They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before Mitsukai spoke again. "Gomen ne, but I just can't stop thinking about it. Why did my brother let someone as pretty as you live?"  
  
"You don't know? I'm sorry to tell you, but I killed him," he said softly, half expecting to hear a number of explosions any minute. He most definitely was not expecting to hear her laughing. "What's funny?"  
  
"You couldn't possibly have killed him," she said between breathing deeply, trying to stop laughing. "You certainly don't have the level of reiki strength. When was your encounter with my I dear /I brother?"  
  
"A few years ago. I watched my plant drain his blood," he said, but then thought 'So, I passed out for a moment. No one else said anything about his body getting up and leaving.'  
  
"Well, for one thing, he's an Immortal, as in: he can't possibly die. The same goes for me, but anyway the other reason, which completely blows your statement out the window is: I saw him last week and spoke to him only this morning." This revelation sent renewed waves of fear coursing though Kurama.  
  
"You must be joking me. I watched him die," he did not mean for it to come out quite so desperate sounding as it did. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I'm sorry, I haven't been sleeping well recently." He did not know why he was telling her this, but for some reason, it made him feel a bit better, eased his mind on the matter a bit.  
  
"Really? I have been having some rather odd dreams lately, but I most definitely know for a fact that Karasu is alive and well. Maybe not mentally well, he never was all that normal, but he is fine, physically." She glanced as the large clock on the building at one end of the garden and gasped. "Oh, damn, I'm going to be really late for class if I don't get moving. Sorry, maybe we can talk another time." She hurriedly gathered her bag and raced off in a blur before Kurama could utter another word. Then, he realized, he was about be just as late as she, and he could not move quite that fast.  
  
He swore and ran in the same direction she had been going. He had started out being early and ended up being late. He slipped into the lecture hall to see students filing up to the front and sighed in relief, hoping to be able to just slide in unnoticed and turn in the thesis paper due that day. When he got to the front, he put the paper on the pile and smiled as pleasantly as he could at the teacher but wound up gritting his teeth for a second when asked, "And where were you when class began 5 minutes before you came in?"  
  
"I was delayed. The door to my apartment was jammed this morning," he replied smoothly. He had waited a beat before answering, so it didn't seem like he was making up and excuse, and he had looked the teacher in the eye, unblinkingly. He knew how to lie very well. It saddened him slightly that he had perfected his lying skills on his mother when he was younger. But that was partially true; his door had gotten stuck earlier that morning. 'The best lies are 75% truth... or some such nonsense.' "It must have been this recent humidity that caused the wood to expand. Sumimasen, Professor."  
  
"Right, right, take your seat," The professor simply went back to collecting theses.  
  
When Kurama took his seat in one of the upper rows, he put his forehead in his palms and closed his eyes, telling himself to stay awake. Of course, the lights went out for the presentation shortly followed by his consciousness. The fog rolled in and a familiar figured stepped toward him. Kurama was standing in a vast expanse of nothing, but somehow, there was solid ground under his feet. For a moment, he thought the figure before him to be Karasu, but the mists cleared a bit and he took an odd feeling of comfort and relief in seeing that it was Mitsukai. But that feeling was quickly washed away by dread when she reached up and removed the mask from her face.  
  
"I suppose you will have to stop me from breathing, then, " she seemed to be taunting him. But he knew she was right in a sense. If he died in the dream realm, he would die in the real world. So, he did the first thing that came to his head, besides 'Run, you fool!' He covered her mouth... with his. Her lips tasted sweet, like honeysuckle and her scent reminded him of sakura blossoms and lavender. It vaguely registered that he should not be able to taste or smell in this world, but at the moment, he didn't care. His tongue licked at he lips, begging entrance, which she immediately granted. He plunged into the depths of her mouth, tasting all he could. At the same time, his arms had found their way around her body and he crushed her to him. Her right arm went up around his neck, under his hair; the fingers of her left hand became entwined within the red tresses. Kurama's hands wound through he dark locks and wandered over her back, traveling down to the curve of her lower back. Suddenly, he heard a sharp gasp as she was roughly torn from his arms. He looked up to see her struggling against the steely grip of Karasu.  
  
"Let go of her!" he yelled at the creature that had haunted his dreams for far too long.  
  
"If I cannot have you, my little fox, no one can, not even my dear little sister," Karasu laughed both at his silly demand and the futile struggles of his captive sibling. He then held his blood-red claws to her neck and before Kurama could take a step toward him, he slit her throat at the jugular vein and dropped her to the ground at his feet. He appeared behind Kurama and- prodded him with a pencil eraser.  
  
"Wha..." he crack one eye open.  
  
"I said, class is over, you can wake up now," spoke the voice of the woman he had watched die in his dream. She was the one poking him with a pencil. "Looks like you missed all the notes too, huh?"  
  
"Too? What do you mean?" he asked, becoming a bit more awake. He was surprised to find that he actually felt rested, despite the nature and ending of the dream.  
  
"I dozed off about 3 seconds after I sat down," she grinned. "But I got someone to let me copy theirs, care to join me?"  
  
"S-sure, I suppose so," he said. Normally, he would have declined such an offer, but he had a feeling she had some idea what was going on with his dreams for some odd reason or another. "You fell asleep? Did you have any interesting dreams?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, I did and I was quite enjoying it until somebody threw an eraser at my head..." she trailed of grumpily. "What about you?"  
  
"Yes, mine was rather odd, but it turned into a nightmare..." Why did he keep telling her these things?! So, he attempted to turn the conversation in another direction. "When do want to get together to finish those notes?"  
  
"Have you got any free time today?" she seemed rather hopeful.  
  
"I'm taking tonight off from work, so I'll be free the rest of the day after 1 o'clock. What time is good for you?" he told her, relaxing just a hair.  
  
"This is my only class today. Let's say the campus café about 1:15?" she suggested.  
  
"Alright, I'll give you my cell number, just in case." He ripped off a piece of notebook paper and quickly wrote the number for her.  
  
"Right, here's mine," she offered him the small slip of paper. Oddly enough, his was neater than hers. "You'd better get going, or you'll be late for your next class as well."  
  
"See you at the café," Kurama called behind him as he hurried off.  
  
Next chapter: A visitor in the café. "My, my, I come to surprise my little sister, I get my own surprise. I had no idea this day would turn out so well." 


	2. A Meeting in the Cafe

Disclaimer: If I owned YYH, would I be writing fanfics? Think about it, but not too hard, I still want you to read the fic.

I hope that a recognizable part of this fic will make you laugh; it is my firm opinion that even dark fics need a bit of silly humor.

Kurama entered the café and caught sight of Mitsukai as she waved from a booth.

"You're right on time," she commented as he slid in across from her. "Do you want to get started on the notes right away?"

"I suppose so," he answered, pulling out his notebook. 'Perhaps this way, I can avoid any uncomfortable questions.'

"Are you ready to order?" the waitress asked, walking up to the table.

"Sure," Kurama said, giving her a polite smile. "A latte, lots of sugar, please. What about you, Mitsukai-san?"

"Oh, turning on the charm, are we? Sorry, I can't," she reminded him, tapping her mask which gave a soft, metallic 'ping!'. "But don't be so formal, please. Call me just Mitsukai."

"My, my, I come to surprise my little sister, I get my own surprise. I had no idea this day would turn out so well." Kurama's latte was placed in front of him by the long, slender fingers of Karasu. He sat in the booth next to Mitsukai, slinging one arm casually over the back behind her.

"Nii-chan, we really need to get this work done for class, so if you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it if you waited for me at my apartment," she said, sounding slightly annoyed at her older sibling.

"Not just yet. I think I'd like to catch up with my old friend Kurama," he said, his tone deceptively light. He then spoke directly to him. "Perhaps it was better that I wasn't able to kill you; you've become even more beautiful than I remember."

"Nii-chan, take your youki out of his latte..."

"Only as soon as you take yours out of my hair," he responded.

"It was just a precaution," she stated, withdrawing her energy. "It wouldn't have caused that much damage anyway."

"I have to go," Kurama said, getting up and leaving his latte in place.

"Wait, what about the notes?" Mitsukai trued to push her brother out of the way so she could stop him, but Karasu refused to move.

"Yes, don't go just yet," Karasu said, still refusing to let Mitsukai past.

"I'm sure that's not helping, Nii-chan." She glared at him, but he didn't seem to take notice.

"No, I've really got to go," Kurama said again, picking up his bag.

"Hold on a minute!" Mitsukai finally just decided to jump over the table. "Since I have to return the notebook tomorrow, you take it for now and just give it back to me tonight if you have time. I'm sure Karasu will have left by then..." She tore out a page from her notebook and wrote her address on it. "Do you know where that is?"

Looking at the paper, Kurama choked on the air he was breathing. It was the same building he lived in! He was careful not to mention that though, especially in front of Karasu. "I'm sure I can find it," he said instead.

"Great," she said, sounding oddly relieved ass she handed him the notebook. Then she leaned over, surprising him, and whispered, "I'll call you when he leaves." Then she sat in him place in the booth, across from her brother.

Karasu looked as if he were about to leave, but received a frosty glare from his sister. "Yes, I did need to speak with you anyway," he said, addressing her.

Catching his chance, Kurama all but bolted out the door of the café.

"See? You scared him away," Mitsukai scolded Karasu.

"Do you want him for your own?" he asked her ignoring her comment.

"I suppose. He is beautiful and talented, and it's not as if he's some ignorant human... But," she continued. "You've already chosen him. And we don't want a repeat of the Mr. Snugglekins incident." She referred to a puppy plushy, her favorite toy when she was younger. Karasu had torn the head, and all the limbs including the tail off because he wanted it and she wouldn't let him have. This was when she got into the habit of setting bombing in his hair in retaliation.

"If you don't want him, why did you move into his apartment building?" he baited her.

"That was purely coincidence," she stated. "I only just met him today."

"You may have only met him today, but I know you, Mitsukai. You have been watching him for at least a month, possibly longer."

"Did you really come here to see me today, or did you find out where he was and use me as an excuse?" she asked, ignoring his comment.

"You know I never lie, I haven't got a reason to," Karasu reminded her, playing along.

"Then what did you come to see me about?" she demanded.

"Oh, yes. How would you feel about my taking a few classes with you?" She could see the glint of a smile in his cruel eyes.

"I think I would sooner destroy the campus than release you, unbridled amongst the innocents there. I knew you had an agenda to get to him," she glared at him. It was strange how they argued like a normal brother and sister, but their arguments were about such abstract and usually deadly topics that it was good that people didn't get into each others' business these days, or they would have a very messy situation had a human ever bothered to eavesdrop. "You could never just drop by for a 'Hi, how are you? I'm going to torture someone slowly, to the brink of insanity then kill him.' No it's always going to be 'Hi, how are you? I'm going to torture someone slowly, to the brink of insanity then kill him. Oh, by the way, it just happens to be the person you want, too."

"Mitsukai, you just earlier, you said that you knew I wanted him, and you never actually admitted to my accusation of watching him. But, it's too late anyway. I've already signed up for a few classes. One with you, one with him, and of course, one with you both," he was taunting her. She recognized it, so she was able to counter it.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get to me as well. But we both know Mama would have your head if you were," she said with her own cruel grin.

"If I were, how would she find out about it?" he attempted to call her bluff. "She lives in the Makai, this is the Ningenkai."

"You mean you don't keep in touch with her? It's amazing what you can do with the internet. I'll have to give you her e-mail address," she said. She really didn't keep in touch except for birthday and holiday e-mails, but he didn't need to know that.

"I hate technology..." he grumbled. "Besides, I'm not afraid of my mother."

"That remains to be seen. Now, I've got to get going," she told him, gathering her things. "I will see you later. I love you. If you are planning to stop by the apartment, anytime after midnight tomorrow is fine."

"Leaving so soon?" he sounded almost forlorn. "I'll hold you to your word."

"Can I trust you in here? Nope, come on," she dragged him out the door with her, leaving the money on the table.

"You don't trust me? I'm hurt," he said mockingly.

"Can you please go back to whatever venture you are pursuing?" she asked him, trying not to beg.

"I already am, and his name is Kurama," he informed her.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck, as long you don't interrupt anymore study sessions," she grinned behind the mask. "See you later." She left him, not realizing that she had already aided him far more than she would ever have wanted to.

As soon as Kurama entered him apartment, he set the notebook on the table and his bag beside the table. He walked to the couch and flopped down. What a day... It wasn't even two in the afternoon and already, the day was too long. At least h had plenty of time to copy the notes and get to his relaxing even, which he really needed now.

What was he going to do? He could move, but he had to close to the university, so that didn't help. He could transfer, but this was one of the top schools in all of Japan. He couldn't drop out, that would break his mother's fragile heart.

"Oh no, I left her with the bill." What a thought to come to mind... But now, he was in her debt. Damned, freakin' chivalry. Ne owed for the latte and for getting her the notes. He could always pay her back for the coffee, but what about the notes? "Well, better get started then."

He went to table and copied over the notes quickly and neatly. Whoever had taken the notes had taken down very good details probably going to be on the test. But the notes were very long. Five pages for an hour and a half lecture. Not only had she gotten im notes, she'd gotten him good notes. At this rate, he'd have to make her lunch, or dinner. He was doomed.

He finally decided he would call her and find out when she wanted him to bring over the notes and surprise her with his "thank you" token. That would end the relationship. He fished out the slip of paper with the number on it and called her. She picked up on the first ring.

"Moshi-moshi?"

"Hello, Mitsukai-san. This is Ku- Shuuichi Minamino-"

"Oh, hi. Did you miss me already?"

"Er- I would like to know when I can return the notebook. I've finished copying them."

"That fast? Alright, how about an hour or two?" she suggested.

"Make it two and a half hours, about 5 o'clock, and I will see you then. Is that all right?"

"Perfect," she smiled to herself. "Don't worry. I already made sure there would be no more surprise visits for a while."

'I wouldn't mind a surprise visit from the demonic coroner, "Good news, your stalker is dead,'" Kurama thought to himself before speaking. "So, I'll see you at five, then."

"Right." Beep.

Kurama got to work on dinner while Mitsukai went back to watching VMC and trying beat the evil doppelgangers on level 8 before showering.

At 5 o'clock, on the dot, Kurama stood at the door to 5B, but before he rang the doorbell, he heard some interesting sounds.

"Destroy his kneecaps! No, not wet! Yes, make him mentally vulnerable; manipulate his sanity to your will! Bwahahaha!" Ding-Dong!

Mitsukai appeared at the door in a white silk bathrobe with a towel in one hand, working at drying her long hair. "Minamino-san, what are you doing here so early?"

"We agreed I'd come at 5 o'clock, correct? It is 5 o'clock," he told her, making sure he hadn't gotten it wrong.

"Well, yes, I know that, but no one ever comes on time. Oh, I'm sorry," she said, remembering herself. "Come in, please."

He stepped into the apartment, which looked very much like his: plain. He took off his shoes and said what he needed to. "I want to thank you very much for getting me such good notes and for paying for my drink this afternoon, when I left so suddenly. I hope it's alright, but I made you dinner," he said, getting it all out.

"You made me dinner? Why wouldn't that be okay? I was probably just going to wind up having ramen, anyway," she said, making him feel very relieved. After this, it would be over. "What did you make?"

"Fried fish, onigiri, and udon noodles. I know it's not much but-"

"Are you kidding? That sounds wonderful. Could you put it on the table?" she said, her smile sending that slight shiver down his spine. "I may wind up having to repay you for your repayment."

"Oh, no please," he insisted. He really wanted this to be finished.

"Really, I mean it. If you don't live too far, I would like to take you out for dessert. Do you like Inarizushi?" She had found his weakness.

"I-inarizushi?"

"Oh, if you could only see the smile on your face. I take that as a yes. Meet me back here at 6:35."

"Now, is that including or not including the 'be late' rule?" he joked, already on an inarizushi high.

"Very funny. Including, that's why I said thirty-five." As Mitsukai put the game player on the coffee table, it hit the mute button on the remote and Dir en Grey's 'Cage' came blaring out of the speakers. "Oh, I can't believe I almost missed this. 'Cage' is one my favourite Dir en Grey videos."

That brought Kurama right back down to earth. He'd seen the video. Straitjackets, bondage, scary, pointy medical equipment, and lots of blood, that's what is in that video. In general, Dir en Grey videos are gross and/or disturbing. That particular video always reminded him of Karasu... he should be in a straitjacket, spitting up blood... 'No, cannot let thoughts go to dark places. I'll leave that to Youko.' But the thought of thoughts in dark places caused his mind to reach depths of which Yusuke would be proud. He realized that Mitsukai was wearing white, a white robe, just a white robe... One could practically see everything... No, dark places bad.

"Kurama, are you okay?" Mitsukai asked, seeing the almost pained expression his face.

"Wha- Yes, I'm fine... Did you just call me Kurama?" he realized. How did she know?

"Well, um Nii-chan called you Kurama, but... and... Gee, look at the time, I need to change my clothes," she all but pushed him out the door. "We'll talk about it over dessert, right? See you then, bye!" Slam!

VMC- Video Music Channel, Japan's MTV

onigiri- rice balls

Inarizushi- really yummy, sweet, rice ball type things

Dir en Grey- popular JRock band. Have, as I said, dark, gross, disturbing video's, with the exception of Cube, only a little bit of assassination in that one, I'll, not too bad at all, and The Final, okay, that one has its moments.

What do you think? How do you think Mitsukai is gonna be able to eat the Inarizushi? What will they do about classes with Karasu? Will she tell him beforehand? All will be revealed in chapter 3... well, most of this stuff anyway. Give me reviews!


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